Over the Porsche 911’s 48-year life span, every new Carrera has promised a solid bump in horsepower, handling, and comfort. But increased fuel economy? If any new 911 did deliver better fuel economy, it certainly wasn’t headline news. But with the all-new new 911 (code-named 991), the company went to radical lengths to eke out more mpg. The EPA city/highway mileage numbers haven’t been finalized, but Porsche promises a 16.3 percent improvement in fuel economy on base Carrera models, which translates to approximately 30 mpg highway. Not too bad, especially considering the car is larger and more powerful than before.

The new car is longer, lower, and wider than the outgoing model (code-named 997). It looks long, low, and wide in the metal and rides on a wheelbase stretched by 3.9 inches, yet the car itself is only 2.2 inches longer than the old one. The biggest reason for the upsizing, Porsche says, was to improve high-speed stability. We suspect it also has something to do with the upcoming hybrid model, too.
The platform of the previous car lasted for two generations (from 996 to 997), but this one uses an all-new design with a variety of tricks to reduce the weight. Forty-five percent of the Porsche’s parts are aluminum, including the floor pan, roof, and doors. (The rear fenders, because of their complex curves, remain steel.) Even components that aren’t aluminum have been designed to shave weight. The MacPherson strut front-axle assembly now weighs 4.4 pounds less than the old one. Add it all up, and even though the new Carrera is larger than its predecessor, it is actually lighter than the 997 by about 100 pounds. A Carrera with the PDK transmission weighs 3080 pounds. That’s impressive, considering there’s more safety and technology gear on board. The structure is not only lighter but also 25 percent more torsionally rigid.

The base engine has shrunk from 3.6 liters to 3.4 to improve fuel efficiency, and yet thanks to a raised redline of 7,800 rpm, it puts out more power. The larger 3.8-liter six from the S model now belts out a solid 400 hp. Both engines can be mated to a new seven-speed manual or the seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission. And as in the Panamera sedan, both powertrains here now use Porsche’s Auto-Stop feature to shut down the engine and save fuel at stoplights. It defaults to the off position, so you have to manually engage it, and then it remains on. We found the Carrera’s to be far less clunky than the system used on the Panamera. And to boost fuel economy on the freeway, the new 991 uses a coasting feature that, in PDK models, disengages the clutch under no load conditions (cruising down a slight decline) and drops the revs to idle. And you can even engage it manually by shifting the PDK gearbox up past seventh gear.

Porsche is known for having a long list of available options to entice buyers. But now even base cars get some of the good stuff. A Carrera with no extra options now comes with full navigation system and 19-inch wheels and tires. And there is more standard and available luxury here then ever before, including a power adjustable steering column, dual zone climate control, and heated and cooled seats.